The Northern Passage
by FalloutRanger
Summary: The NCR has defeated the Legion with the help of the Courier. Private Sharps has enlisted with the NCR and now faces the combined strength of the White Legs and Legion Remnants. Can he survive the dreaded Northern Passage?
1. New Recruit

**Alrighty, well I'm back with another Fallout tale. I hope you guys enjoy my telling of everyone's favorite post-apocalyptic game. **

**No, I don't own Fallout or you would be able to fly in the Boomer's plane.**

_War, war never changes. The inhabitants of the New Vegas region knew this fact well. For years, the armies of the NCR and Caesar's Legion fought over the dry-cracked earth; both wanting the immense power of Hoover Dam. Yet, the arrival of a single woman changed all of that. Carrying the NCR on her back, the Courier led her allies against Caesar; defeating them and pushing them from New Vegas plains. _

_Now, the war drums are sounding, the sharpening of blades and the twang of bows and arrows roused the soldiers of Outpost Zulu. For some, this could mean the end, but for one new recruit, it promised an amazing tale._

Camp Zulu

The shouts of sergeants and officers echoed through the busy compound; drawing the breath away from the new recruits. One such in particular stood amazed. He had heard of trials faced at Camp Zulu; how it was the closest NCR base to the fabled Northern Passages and thus, subjected to both Legion and White Leg raids.

Private First Class William "Will" Sharps shifted his duffel bag as he followed the rest of his training class to the CO's tent. He stood at an even six feet, weighing about one hundred and eighty pounds of farmer muscle. He had herded Brahmin with his father before he had enlisted into the NCR. The Legion had swept through their farmland during their retreat from Hoover Dam; while ransacking the farm, they had killed both Will's parents.

He had been forced to watch as the six Legionaries nailed his father to the posts and begin to ravage his mother. Holding his younger sister back, he had covered her mouth so she wouldn't scream in terror. Only the timely arrival of a squad of Rangers kept them from being discovered by the Legionaries. The Rangers tore into the barbaric men, erasing them from existence. It had been there that Will had volunteered.

He dropped his bag at his feet, dust sweeping past his mud-covered boots. He remembered the look on Daisy's face when he had taken her to Goodsprings, to stay with his older sister, Sunny. He laughed to himself, remembering her words.

"Kill them all, brother."

Normally, he knew her to be the quiet, reserved woman he had grown up with. Now, because she had been independent for the past few years, she had grown into a fierce fighter. Daisy would be well taken care of; thankfully she was young enough that she could forget the travesties of her youth.

The platoon of soldiers gathered in front of the CO; a Colonel Frank Hill. Will had heard from his recruiting class that he had fought in both Hoover Dam battles and had even charged alongside the Courier. The recruits snapped to attention as Colonel Hill strode out of his tent.

Will had never seen such a man before; he seemed to exude confidence and command. Colonel Hill stood tall, 6'3 and built like a Brahmin bull. He was a fighter, which was very apparent by the scarred armor that covered his chest. The NCR bear stenciled over his right breast had faded over time, a long gash from a Legion machete cutting the bear in two.

"Well, this is the sorriest bunch of replacements I have ever seen!" Colonel Hill barked, the group of men and women visibly flinching at his voice. "I am Colonel Hill, commanding officer of Camp Zulu. This sunny establishment is a half-mile from the Northern Passage to New Canaan; here we protect the citizens of New Vegas from the Legion remnants who have allied themselves with the White Legs."

Scanning the area, Will noticed multiple Rangers walking back and forth to their posts. Their custom armor isolating them from the rest of the NCR troopers; that is what Will wanted, to be a Ranger. Due to his distraction, Will missed most of the briefing. Shit, looks like he'll have to rely on his comrades.

"So, in conclusion, do not leave the base camp unarmed or without a buddy. One thing that'll keep you alive is the man…or woman to your right. Captain Simms here will call out your postings. Pay attention and most of you will make it back home alive. Captain, their all yours."

Captain Simms snapped a crisp salute; turning to the twenty or so recruits. "Alright, listen up! This will begin in alphabetical order and I will only say this once."

Will followed the rest of his new squad to their tents. They had been assigned to the northern post, closest to the Passage. Having already reported to Lieutenant Carter, Will dropped his duffel bag on his cot; a fine layer of dust floating up from the canvas. He shared the tent with four other soldiers; two were new recruits like him and the other two were veterans.

"That was Martin's bunk, newbie." Sneered Corporal Higgins, slapping a card down on the wooden camp table in front of him. Higgins had been assigned to Camp Zulu for the past seven months and had lost half of his squad to the White Legs. The woman across from him sighed, lying her cards down on the table and tossing a couple of chips to Higgins.

Will straightened up; his hand running over the top of is close-cropped hair. Turning around, he stared into Higgins eyes. The man leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking as he crossed his arms.

"Got something to say, newbie?"

"Look, Higgins. I know…Martin was your friend; but I'm here now. So get used to it because we're in the same squad." Will explained, leaning against the cooking stove in the middle of the tent.

"Look, you punk piece-of-shit! I don't have to put up with your lip!" Higgins shouted, kicking back his chair and striding towards Will.

Instantly, Will shifted into a defensive stance. Bringing his fists up, Will blocked the first of Higgins' punches with his forearm. He delivered a right hook to Higgins' ribs followed by an uppercut to his chin. Higgins staggered back, shaking his head to clear the stars in his vision. Stumbling forward, he prepared to throw another right hook when an earth-shattering shout sounded out.

"Damn it, stand down Higgins!" the woman barked, slamming her cards onto the table.

Higgins instantly snapped to attention; the brawl completely forgotten. Will kept his hands up, confused by what was occurring. The woman rose from her chair, pulling her jacket on.

"But Sarge, the newbie's trying to take Martins place!"

The sergeant slapped Higgins in the back of his head as she pulled a red beret on her head. Seeing the flash of red, Will instantly snapped to attention as the woman strode forward.

"Higgins, I'm tired of all your crap." The woman said, walking between the two soldiers. "Get out of this tent before I boot you out!"

"Yes sergeant!" Higgins shouted as he sprinted out of the tent, grabbing his rifle as he left.

The sergeant circled Will, who continued to stand at attention. She wore her brunette hair up in a bun and had a pair of sunglasses hanging from the front of her shirt. Will swallowed nervously; sweat beginning to drip down his back under the watchful eyes of the sergeant.

"You're Private Sharps, right? I'm Sergeant Marie Evers; friends call me Marie when officers aren't around." Marie explained, pulling a packet of gum from her front pocket. "You're new here so listen carefully. Keep a lookout for any hostiles, that's just a given. Also, you got any complaints with someone, than bring them to me and I'll set up a fight."

Gaping, Will stared dumbfounded at Sergeant Evers. "Sarge, what do you mean…fight?"

Sergeant Evers laughed as she pulled a stick of gum from her packet. "I'm Recon, Sharps. I believe that soldiers should settle their differences their own way instead of going through all the red tape." Evers explained, waving her hand dismissively as she spoke. Popping the stick of gum in her mouth, Evers pulled her sunglasses from her shirt; placing them on her face. "Follow me, Sharps."

"Ma'am, where are we going?" Will asked as they walked the rows of tents. They had been walking for about ten minutes when they reached the outer gate of the camp.

There were multiple watchtowers erected along the perimeter surrounding the camp. The walls were simply sandbagged barricades with a sheet metal coverings going in a complete circle around the camp. While it would provide cover for the sentries, under a massive assault, even Will knew that it wouldn't last.

"This is your post; report here at 0800 tomorrow." Evers explained, popping a bubble and chewing rapidly. "You're going to be my spotter, so get some sleep. Dismissed."

"Yes ma'am…um, what exactly is Higgins' problem?" Will asked, crossing his arms.

Evers was silent as she pondered his question. Will could see how she was trying to find the words, but they just couldn't come, which is why he was shocked by the answer.

"He took an arrow to the throat and bled to death in Higgins' arms. The stupid kid got high on Jet and charged a White Leg. Something I will not stand for is acting like a damn Fiend; you do that, you're out of my squad. Go get some sack time."

Will backed away, almost tripping over a pile of sandbags. His face reddened quickly as he attempted to fix his footing. Looking up, he was glad that Sergeant Evers was still facing the perimeter; oblivious to his blunder.

"Right…0800."

The sun had already begun to set over the mountains of the Mojave as Will sat on his bunk; unlacing his boots. The rest of his squad was already sleeping except for Sergeant Evers and himself. She was only wearing a tan tank-top with a pair of running shorts; reading from an old Pre-War book.

"Sergeant…um, Marie. How long have you been in the NCR?"

Sighing, she folded her current page and tossed it on the table. "Going on five years now; seen a lot of stuff in that time."

Tugging his right boot off with a grunt, Will leaned forward. "How many Legionary bastards you kill?"

Turning to face him, Marie glared straight into Will's eyes. Will instantly regretted his question, despite his hatred of the Legion. Glancing down to the ground, he spoke again.

"They killed my parents and traumatized my sister so much that she won't speak. I hate those bastards, they're the reason I'm here. I'm going to kill as many of them as I can, even if I die myself." Explained Will as he pulled his left boot off and laid back on his bunk; folding his hands behind his head.

Will closed his eyes, imagining the look on Marie's face. He knew it was the same story that many NCR troopers told; so he knew there wasn't anything she could say that he hadn't heard already. Though he definitely wasn't ready for what she said.

"Looks like we got something in common, Will."

**Well, what do you think? I took some liberties because seriously, the Legion doesn't use bows? I would think that would think it would be a pretty important weapon. I know there wasn't any action but there will be next chapter I promise. So review if you liked it and I'll have another chapter up soon. **


	2. Camp Zulu Blues

**Hey, I'm back. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and if you didn't…why are you back? Well, since you are back, I hope this goes well.**

**I don't own Fallout…why world!**

Camp Zulu-North Watchtower

The sun had just begun to rise as Will sipped black coffee from a metal cup. It was 0800 now, but he woke early, around 0630 because he was used to early mornings on the family farm. He had come to the tower early, relieving the sentries of their duty and coffee. He chuckled as he remembered the freckle-faced boy he saw. His armor could be described as two sizes to big with a helmet to match. At least the rifle he carried was his size; the battered .223 varmint rifle could barely be called a weapon against human beings.

He leaned back, the old camp stool creaking slightly as he propped up his feet. _Mojave morning air…ah, nothing like it._

He stared at the dregs of his coffee, contemplating whether or not the rest of it was worth it. _Damn kid couldn't make good black coffee to save his life. _He thought as he choked down the rest of his cup.

Reaching for the binoculars, he raised them to his eyes, quickly glancing at the Northern Passage. He had heard there was almost always a steady stream of trade caravans heading into New Canaan, but now because of recent White Leg raids led by Legion soldiers; the caravans have ceased completely.

He sighed, slinging the binoculars around his neck. "Wish they would come 'round. I just want a chance to get one of those bastards."

"Well, you might just get your chance soon, Private."

Will visibly jumped at the sound of the voice, reaching for his sidearm to discover it was missing. Looking up, he saw the laughing face of Sergeant Evers.

"Damn it, Evers; that's not funny." Will hissed, rising out of his chair. "What if you had been a Legionary or something?"

Evers laughed, pulling his pistol from behind her back. "Well, then you'd be up shit creek without a paddle. Word of advice, Sharps, keep your weapon holstered at all times; not on the table."

Laughing despite the burning in his face, Will grabbed his pistol from Evers. "Yes ma'am. So what's the duty?"

Laughing, Evers climbed the rest of the way into the tower; taking Will's chair from him. Sighing again, he leaned against one of the posts supporting the roof. Evers began to explain the duties of the sentries. They were to watch for any hostile forces and report it by radio to Command. Though, as Marie said, the likelihood of anything happening was ten to one.

"But if we are attacked, what's the chance of us holding this position?" Will asked, despair practically dripping in his voice.

Evers leaned back, pulling her packet of gum out and popping a stick in her mouth. Chewing silently, she fixed the beret on her head as she thought over the question. "Well, I've been in worse spots before."

"Worse spots then this? There's barely a wall, just some damn sandbags."

"Camp Forlorn Hope, Will. I didn't have a wall between me and the Legion." Evers said grimly, her eyes covered by her sunglasses. She popped a bubble, the noise the only thing between them.

"I'm sorry, Evers. I didn't know…" Will trailed off, flicking open the chamber of his revolver. He absently counted the six rounds over and over; ejecting each round and reloading. The simple task calmed his nerves. He began shooting with his father, who had taught him the ways of the rifle. The first thing he learned well was how to quickly reload in a matter of seconds.

As his father said, _"A good man can fire six times, but a fast man can do it twelve."_

From then on, Will had practiced time and again until he beat his father. He remembered the day of his father's death; he had fired twelve shots.

"Don't worry, kid. No harm done, though you should be more careful. Any other trooper would've knocked you upside the head for even speaking of Forlorn Hope. Some say its bad luck…me, I don't believe in luck. Just destiny."

"Destiny, ma'am? What do you mean?" Will asked, holstering his revolver.

"Well…God, kid. I grew up in a religious family and I've made it through the Legion, White Legs, and Recon training because of it." Evers explained as she folded her hands in front of her. "If this bothers you, I won't make you uncomfortable. I'm a private person, so don't worry about me trying to save your soul from the bowels of Hell."

Will laughed loudly, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Na, I'm fine with it. My mother was the same way, but I never really got into it."

Evers opened her mouth to reply, but a low buzzing sound interrupted her, ever growing by the second. Her mouth hung open for a few seconds before she flung herself to the ground; pulling Will with her.

"Evers, what the-

He was silenced by a trio of arrows sinking into the wood post that he had just been leaning against. Evers crawled across the floor, more arrows passing the tower and sinking into the flesh of the NCR troopers below. She reached the table; knocking it to the floor to grab the binoculars and walkie-talkie.

Will watched as she raised the radio to her lips, calmly reporting the situation to Command. Reaching over, he grabbed the binoculars from Evers, slowly rising to look above before ducking back down as another arrow nearly skewered his head.

"Sarge, we go major incoming!"

"Really? The cloud of arrows trying to kill us didn't seem like a good enough hint?" Evers said as she finished her report and crawled across to the weapons locker that had been hidden by the table.

Flipping it open, she pulled two AR-15 assault rifles out and tossed one to Will along with a bandolier of ammo. "Sharps, you fired this weapon before?"

Will responded by slapping a magazine in and cocking it with the precision of any NCR trooper. Nodding once, they both rose up, opening fire as the horde of Legionaries and White Legs descended on the compound.

There seemed to be no end to the endless waves of bodies, the majority being White Legs lead by simple Legionaries or the more seasoned Decanus. Will laughed when he saw the feathered helmet and the man waving the White Legs forward. Squeezing the trigger he sent a burst straight into the man's chest; his blood splattering on his men. Shifting his fire, he opened up on a squad that had almost overran one of the barricades; killing three troopers.

"You primitive, crazy bastards." He muttered as he emptied the remainder of his magazine into the chest of a White Leg. The woman screeched as the 5.56 rounds tore her body to shreds. "Sarge, how did we not know this was going to happen?"

Her rifle bucking against her shoulder as she downed a pair of White Legs, she quickly replied. "Well, it seems that the raid took a different route out of the canyon that we hadn't scouted out yet and hid till this morning. That's what command thinks at least…dammit, reload!"

Will covered Evers as she dropped down to reload, his fire turning the White Legs and their Legionary leaders into bloody barricades which helped to slow down the continuous stream of enemies. He gasped sharply as a barbed arrow sliced across the unprotected top of his shoulder; blood beginning to slowly trickle down his chest.

Thankfully, the adrenaline coursing through him kept the pain at bay, but for how long he thought. For every White Leg killed another took his place and the barricade was beginning to be overrun by the sheer number of them.

"Reload!"

Will dropped down as he ejected the magazine and fished around for a full one. The floor of the watchtower was carpeted by spent brass and arrows adorned the wooden posts. Gritting his teeth Will opened up again, shattering the skull of White Leg before he could impale an unlucky trooper.

Waving his hand, the trooper picked up the fallen man's spear, thrusting it into a veteran Legionary, the man screaming as the spear-tip sliced through his stomach. Will swallowed hard as he watched; all along the barricade the fighting has resorted to hand-to-hand combat. Sadly, the Legionaries almost always overpowered the NCR troopers and rushed farther into the compound. More than once, Will or Evers had to kick an overeager Legionary off the ladder leading to their position. Eventually, Evers had simply ordered him to get rid of the ladder itself.

So, as a White Leg was climbing up with a knife between his teeth, Will kicked the ladder down; the man screaming as he slammed to the ground. Silencing his cries, Will returned to the fight. The two of them began a system, alternating between firing and reloading to conserve their ammunition.

"Sarge, I got one magazine cocked and locked with another in my back pocket. How're you doing?"

Shifting through her pockets and bandolier, Evers came up with two more magazines, not including the half-spent one in her rifle. "Pick your targets; White Legs are almost useless without leadership. Take out the Legionaries first. Here take these, I'm going to try and raise Command."

Taking the offered magazines, Will switched his fire to semi, squeezing the trigger as he went from Legionary to Legionary. He cursed when the rifle locked open, the magazine spent. Slapping in a replacement, he crouched behind the wall to steady his breathing. He laughed as he drilled a Decanus through his funny goggles, the feathers of his helmet exploding comically.

He didn't see it, but Evers glanced in his direction, shaking her head. Hopefully, the kid wouldn't begin to enjoy the killing; she had lost too many friends that way. Her continued attempts to raise Command were met with static, causing her to chuck the walkie to the floor in anger. The casing broke open and the wiring of the radio spilled out.

Will jumped at the sudden crash of the radio, twisting to look behind him. "Uh, Sarge…what did you do to the radio?"

Pulling her sidearm from its holster, a 9mm Berretta, she opened fire on the closer enemies below. "The damn thing wasn't working; seems like Command is leaving us high and dry. Seems like nothing's changed in their minds; we're still the grunts." She said, downing a White Leg with a massive club of some sort.

Will watched in horror as Higgins rushed forward with a group of troopers to shore up the defense. Higgins slammed his rifle into the stomach of a Legionary only to be brought to his knees by half a dozen arrows suddenly appearing in his chest. Slamming a fresh magazine in his rifle, he was too late to keep the Legionary from drawing back his arm and with his machete, cleave into Higgins' stomach. Will screamed incoherently as he opened up, riddling Higgins' killer with holes. He just stood staring at the bodies, trying to go back in time.

"Sharps stay here. I'm going to make a run for the Command tent." Evers ordered as she slid a new magazine into her pistol; snapping Will out of his daze.

Laughing at her words, Will crouched next to her. "With respect ma'am, but I think I have a better chance. Rifle is better than pistol, no? Cover me best you can from here and bunker down when I'm gone."

To solidify that he was going, Will crouched next to where the ladder used to be. "We just had to get rid of the ladder eh?"

"Shut it, Sharps. Okay, ready…go!"

Will leapt from the tower, rolling as he crashed to the ground. Jumping to his feet, he was instantly met by a charging White Leg swinging a wicked-looking axe. Raising up his rifle, the blade cleaved through the receiver; ruining the weapon.

"Rusted piece of shit!" Will cursed as threw it aside, backpedaling to escape the swipes from the White Leg. He dove to the side, drawing his revolver as the White Leg got closer. Pulling back the hammer, he began to squeeze the trigger when the chest of the man exploded in a burst of blood and guts. Rolling to avoid the body, Will glanced up, the smoking barrel of Evers' pistol.

"Take note, Sharps. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight, now get mov-

Evers was cut off by a loud blast, followed up an explosion which sent many White Legs to Hell in a bloody blast. It was accompanied by a number of similar explosions along the perimeter, driving the enemy back.

"Its Hoover Dam, the artillery's got this place zeroed in! Get to cover!" Evers shouted as the artillery continued to blast the now-fleeing White Legs. But the artillery seemed to move closer to the compound, beginning to hit some troopers as well. Will watched in horror as a shell exploded by the watchtower; the woodworks collapsing with Evers screaming in terror.

Will rushed forward only twenty feet from the remains of the tower before he was lifted off his feet. The world spun for an instant as he slammed into the ground, blood dripping from his nostrils. He could only stare at the smoking remains of the tower before he laid his head down; darkness taking him.

**Wow…has been too long since I've written. Sorry everyone I was in Guatemala on a mission trip. I promise I will do my best to update more regularly, hope I haven't lost any interested readers. Alrighty, well here's the chapter, review if you liked it please, I love feedback.**


	3. New Orders

**Howdy everyone, yall ready for another story? I hope so, otherwise, why are you here? Ok, enough jabbering, heeeerrrrreeeessss the story!**

Camp Zulu

Status: Dire. Immediate reinforcements required. White Leg excursions becoming more frequent. Recommend sending remaining troopers into the Northern Passage with Colonel Hill to assist the Courier. Courier on route. 

Black smoke obscured the remains of Camp Zulu as NCR troopers picked their way through the wreckage and bodies. The cries of the wounded and disturbing silence of the dead seemed to resound in the ears of the grim survivors.

Kicking at a shattered wood post, Will managed to pull himself from the remains of the watchtower supports. Blood seeped from multiple cuts and scrapes that adorned his face and body like ruined war paint. Coughing as dust swept into his dry mouth, he grasped the buckles of his armor; struggling to release the simple clasps. Finally, the clasps gave way, the body armor crashing onto the ground; followed by Will himself. He gasped in air rapidly as he struggled to control his stomach; losing quickly when he saw what was barely three feet from him.

He stared at the gore-covered body of Corporal Higgins. The remains of Higgins were impaled by half a dozen arrows and his stomach had been slit open by a Legion machete. Will grabbed his head as he flashed back to the moment of Higgins' death. The look of shock and terror as Higgins fell to the ground, his eyes never seeing anything or anyone again.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Will pushed himself up; spitting to rid his mouth of the taste. He stumbled towards the wreckage of the watchtower base area; it was the last place Sergeant Evers had been. He began to search through the ruined wood and sheet metal all the while thinking of the battle. How Sergeant Evers had been completely calm and he had been shaking like a new born Brahmin calf.

"Never again." He muttered as he shoved a burnt post out of the pile. Pain lanced up his arm as he lifted another post and threw it out of the way. He glanced down, noticing for the first time, a large gash which traveled from the top of his right bicep to the middle of his elbow.

"Well, that's going to scar. Sharps, you okay?"

Will jumped at the voice, turning to face it. Standing in front of him, very dirty and very, very pissed was Sergeant Evers.

"Holy…Sarge, I should be asking you that, not the other way around." Will stuttered as he quickly made his way to her. He began to pull at her armor and clothes checking her for wounds.

"Whoa, whoa, kid. Buy me dinner first." Evers laughed as she slapped at his hands. "I'm fine, gonna be sore, but nothing I've never felt before. Wish I could say the same for the rest of the camp."

Will's gaze shifted down at her words. Out of the few hundred troopers at the base camp, only a few dozen remained; including the wounded. A sharp snap knocked Will from his stupor, Evers snapping her fingers in his face. She pointed him towards the first aid station set up and then directed him to round up the rest of the survivors. As he began to walk away, she shouted after him.

"Sharps, I'm out a corporal. You're written till you're dead or I find someone better, understand? Look, find Colonel Hill and see if we can figure out this shit-storm of a mess."

Waving his hand above his head, Will didn't even glance behind him. He mind reeled at the turn of events. He was a corporal now after being in the military for less than three weeks. His base camp had been practically obliterated and his squad leader seemed to be completely fine.

"_Woman's crazy with a capital C."_

Will managed to round up a squad worth of walking-wounded; sending them towards the first-aid station. He had to even slap a hysterical private as he rocked back and forth; muttering about the Legion. After doing so, he liberated a canteen from the back of a supply truck, the driver crushed between the steering wheel and his seat. The truck had crashed into another truck when a burst of machine gun fire had entered the cab and riddled the driver.

Pouring the water on his face, he sighed as the lukewarm water trailed down the small of his back and chest. Draining the contents, he tossed the empty canteen into the wreckage; continuing on his way. Picking his way through rows of burnt tents, he reached the center of the camp, where he first came in.

His mouth hung open when he saw the destruction. Fires had taken over most of the compound and corpses laid everywhere; most riddled by arrows and spears. Striding forward, Will gagged as the smell of death swept over him; making him start to jog past all the bodies.

"Oh, God…"

Before him lay the corpse of Colonel Hill and his Ranger bodyguards; all mutilated beyond recognition. The only reason he knew it was the colonel was because of the insignia on his collar. Will wiped his face, struggling to keep his bile down.

"Geez…haven't even gotten my first paycheck." Will groaned as he began searching through Colonel Hill's pockets. Turning up nothing but an old lighter and a few NCR dollars; he moved on to the Rangers. They had more on them being combat-equipped and he liberated a belt with holster and a Ranger Sequoia .44 magnum.

Spinning the magnum in his hand, Will slipped the powerful pistol into the holster. Tightening the belt down, he turned to the Colonel's desk. Papers were askew across the desk, most covered in blood from the bodies. Opening the drawers, Will searched for the lifesaving radio and, of course, bad luck was on his side. The search turned up nothing but a serrated combat blade; which he slipped into his boot.

Slamming his fist onto the desk in frustration, Will threw the papers off the desk. Grabbing the lamp, he twisted around to throw it only to see something which shocked him to the core.

Written on the wall of the tent in blood was the name of the Legion soldier who killed his father.

"_Death to the NCR. Death to the Burned Man. Hail Legate Vulpus."_

He dropped the lamp, the bulb shattering on the wooden pallet underneath him. Hands shaking as he reread the words over and over. Stumbling out of the tent, he finally lost the battle with his stomach; bile forcing its way up and out. Doubling over, he clutched his stomach as the contents spilled out. Spitting, he wiped his mouth and started his way back to Sergeant Evers and the rest of the survivors.

"_Okay…so the base is done for, Colonel Hill is dead, and there's no radio."_ Will mulled the situation over in his head; not noticing the slight movement behind him.

He yelped as something caught his foot, pulling him to the ground. Coughing as dust entered his mouth, he rolled over to face a Legionary who had played dead. Kicking at the man's hand, he struggled to escape the grasp when the man drew a wicked-looking dagger which was now aimed for his chest.

"Sarge!" he yelled, kicking at the man; smiling when his boot connected with the man's face and giving him a change to scramble away. Standing Will drew his new revolver from his holster and aimed it at the Legionary's chest. "Legion prick." Will sneered, pulling the trigger…only for a very dissatisfying click to echo from the pistol.

"Shit."

The Legionary threw the dagger; thankfully, he was off-balance and the blade grazed his chest. Slicing through his BDU shirt, a lance of pain shot across his chest and caused him to stumble. Tripping over another body, he fell to the ground; still clutching the empty revolver.

Picking up a slab of concrete, the Legionary raised it above his head, ready to crush Will's head. Only for the man's chest to explode outward; covering Will in blood and guts. Falling to his knees, the man stared down at the whole in his chest; his dark red armor now ruined.

"Profligate…you will fall." The man gasped, blood filling his mouth. Smirking, the man's eyes rolled to the back of his head and collapsed to the ground; dust wafting up.

"Sharps! Hey, you okay?" Sergeant Evers shouted the sound of her footsteps echoed by a few other troopers who had heard the shot. "Goddamn, nice shot." Evers commented as she helped Will onto his feet.

"Yeah, glad you were paying attention." Will replied, holstering the revolver in disgust. His lack of attention to checking the chamber had almost led to his death. Turning his attention to Sergeant Evers, he noticed something odd…Evers wasn't holding a weapon.

"Sarge…who shot this guy?"

Evers crouched, slipping her knife from her belt and prodding the corpse. "Nope, see this?" she said, pointing the knife at the exit wound. "This is a .308 hollow-point; the bullet expands when it hits tissue. Our service rifles chamber the .556 and no one here has a sniper rifle."

"I do."

Will twisted around, trying to find the voice. "Who said that?"

The small crowd of troopers parted in half as a figure walked towards Will and Sergeant Evers. The man wore a long trench coat, similar to the NCR Rangers along with a helmet which covered their entire head. The thing that threw Will off was the fact that the armor had a desert camouflage pattern and was more ragged then most Ranger armor. Cradled in his arms was a sniper rifle with multi-colored rags tied to the barrel and scope.

A lance-corporal pushed his way forward, his grimy face bearing the look of shock. "Holy shit…it's the Courier."

The Courier reached Will and Evers; slinging his rifle and folding his hands behind his back. "Captain Marrs reporting to Camp Zulu, where's Colonel Hill? I have orders to report to him."

"The Colonel's dead, sir. Sergeant Evers is in command." Will said, stepping forward. Captain Marrs turned to face him; the green eyes of the helmet seemed to stare straight to Will's core.

"And you are?"

Will straightened up, chest up as he snapped to attention. "Acting Corporal Sharps, sir. This is Sergeant Evers." He finished with a salute.

Captain Marrs turned to Evers, ignoring the salute from Will; who slowly and awkwardly lowered his hand. Walking past him, Captain Marrs pulled Sergeant Evers aside and began to talk in hushed voices. The soldiers surrounding the trio talked amongst themselves as they watched the Courier.

"Alright everyone; I want full perimeter checks every hour." Marrs said as he and Sergeant Evers returned to the group. Turning to the lance-corporal who had spoken up, he spoke again. "I want you to take two squads and retrieve all ammunition and firearms you can find and start a resupply area. Also, any usable gear y'all find put it alongside the weapons. Dismissed."

The crowd of soldiers all snapped to attention, faces once downcast, was now full of determination. Saluting as one, they broke apart, going to their assigned tasks.

Once the last trooper left, Will turned to Captain Marrs, only to see the young face of a woman who could have barely been twenty. Looking to Evers who only shrugged, Will addressed Captain Marrs.

"Uh...Captain?"

"Just call me Juno; all the rank stuff is for the troopers." Marrs grinned as she hooked her helmet to her belt; undoing her hair from a long braid which reached her shoulders. "Ahh, much better, damn braid's been itching like none other in this heat. Corporal Sharps and Sergeant Evers, right?"

"Yes 'am." They replied in unison, though with different enthusiasm. Will straightened and folded his hands back while Evers just crossed her arms; cocking a boot out.

"Well, I have to apologize for the late entrance; I only got the new orders yesterday and had to hightail it here. Sergeant, I'm sorry for your men; I know what it's like to lose friends."

Evers ducked her head in respect, not allowing the tears to breach her lids. Will could only wonder what was going through her mind; she was only a sergeant and now she was forced to command the remnants of an entire base. Will thanked whatever deity there was that he wasn't in charge.

"So, fill me in on the situation while we wait on the rest of the troops."

Nodding, Evers led the way to the first-aid station; pulling up three rickety chairs for them to talk. Plopping down in exhaustion, Will tuned out the conversation until he heard his name mentioned for the fourth or fifth time.

"Yes 'am, Sharps is an accomplished soldier. He may be green around the edges, but he held his own against the White Legs; he would do great I think. But what exactly would he be doing?"

Righting himself quickly, almost falling out of his chair; he quickly interrupted. "Yeah, Sarge…WHAT would I be doing?" The emphasize on the word making Juno giggle…_giggle?_

She was the Courier, why was she giggling like a teenage girl? She was the one who had saved his ass and that of the entire NCR; not to mention New Vegas. Casting a glance at Juno, he noticed she was absently pulling on a wooden stick tied around her neck; a simple string binding the sticks together in a 'T' shape.

Pushing the thought away, he scooted his chair closer; leaning in. "Cap- uh…Juno. What did I just get volunteered for?"

Juno laughed again…the same laugh which shocked the idea Will had out of his mind. She tucked the sticks back under her armor; unclipping her helmet as she stood. He followed, closely followed by Evers as they exited the tent; the humidity of the Mojave blasting them in the faces.

As she sealed the helmet back on, once again becoming Captain Marrs, she spoke; her voice sounding harsh and he honestly couldn't tell she was a woman. Turning to face him she spoke the words that would change his life.

"You made Recon, Will. Pack your gear…we're heading to the Northern Passage."

If Will had been sitting…he would've fallen out of his chair, but since he was standing…he just decided to drop on his ass.

**Man…yall I am so sorry I haven't written in such a long time. I totally forgot about this because I was reading this sweet Mass Effect story, Dark Energy by Melaradark. If you like Mass Effect, you gotta read it. Thanks for reading to all my faithful readers how many are left I don't know, but here's to you (Drinks apple juice)**

**I like reviews…you should write a review…come on press the button.**


	4. Ambush

Northern Passage: The road.

"So, explain to me why I have to go?"

Laughing, Juno cast a look behind her as they followed the trail through the Passage. Since exiting the Passage a week ago, Will had been mostly quiet; making their trip extremely long. Since returning from Zion the first time, Juno had been making regular trips back and forth between Zion and New Vegas. She had been on her way to Zion itself when news of Camp Zulu came her way; arriving too late.

Mentally punching herself, she sat down on a fallen log; sheltered by a large boulder. Pulling her satchel off her shoulder, she opened it up and pulled a canteen from the inside. Dropping his pack Will joined her; though he opted to sit opposite of her…in the sun.

"Well, am I going to get an answer or what? Cuz I don't appreciate leaving my unit…what's left of it at least."

Lifting the canteen to her lips, she took a long drink, the sun-heated water soothing her dusty throat. Wiping her mouth, she replaced the canteen in her bag; pulling a bandanna out and wiped her face.

"Will, truth be told, you didn't really need to come. And yet, you did in the same way. Its complicated…" Juno trailed off, her words confusing herself, let alone Will. "Look, I'm taking you to Joshua Graham…uh, the Burned Man as you might know him."

Will's eyes shot up like a cornstalk when he heard the words. "The Burned Man…what do I have to do with him? I heard his was dead, Caesar killed him after the first Hoover Dam battle." Moving forward with each word, he was soon sitting in front of Juno.

"It's not you specifically, but who you represent." She sighed, leaning back against the boulder. "Graham is the leader of the Dead Horses; a tribe living in Zion. First time I met Graham, the tribe was locked in a war with the White Legs. We managed to kick their asses back across the border…what we didn't know was that the Legion had allied with the White Legs and that the group we destroyed was just a scouting party."

Resting his right arm on his knee, Will pulled his canteen from his belt; sipping at the water. It was only then he realized that he was running low on water. "Shit…So why me? I'm just a grunt."

"Here, I got more." Juno laughed as she tossed a liter of purified water to Will; who eagerly drank the water, his adam apple bobbing furiously. "Okay, so this is the idea. Graham knows his tribe can't defeat the White Legs and the Legion Remnants by themselves; so that's why you're here…NCR. With the NCR in the fight we have a chance to take the Legion down once and for all; saving the innocent tribes in Zion."

Nodding his head slowly, Will screwed the cap back on the bottle, tossing it to Juno. "Well, what're we waiting for? I wanna kick some more Legion ass." Grinning as he stood up, brushing the dirt from his already tarnished pants; offering his hand to Juno. "Maybe on the way you could tell me more 'bout Zion."

Grinning as she gripped his hand, Juno stood and pulled her satchel back on. "Sure, might tell you about the hot springs by the Horses camp."

His grin grew as the thought of being clean after traveling for a week in already bloody and sweaty clothes. "Oh, you know you're going to tell me."

"Oh? How will you make me?" Juno asked, playing the innocent, bat the eyes card. She was rewarded with an intense changing of color on Will's part; his cheeks becoming the color of the slowly setting sun. "Oh…I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

Un-slinging his rifle, liberated from the large amount left over from Zulu, Will quickly pulled his face wrap up; covering his face. "C-can we just g-go now?" His voice muffled by the wrap as he started down the path.

Juno followed in his footsteps, a smirk on her face as they walked down the beaten path. "Haha, course we can Will…just, we need to go left, you're going right."

Not even breaking stride, Will corrected his direction, growling in frustration as they marched on. They continued on without speaking for the next few hours, time being of no concern as they passed tree after tree. The scenery amazed Will as he passed the trees; feeling the leaves as he passed them. He couldn't believe it, the leaves felt so alive, like nothing had happened.

"Pretty cool, huh? I know what you're feeling; same thing happened to me." Juno explained, walking next to Will. "First time I came through, I had never seen trees like these. Something about them made me know there was something else acting; like the world was healing itself." Stopping by a large pine tree, Juno picked a few needles from a branch holding them out to Will. "Smell them, it's alright."

Hesitant, Will slowly leaned down to smell them; his eyes never leaving Juno's. Pulling his face wrap down, he breathed in deeply; the exotic smell of the needles surprising him. Blinking his eyes, he took the needles from Juno's hands; literally shoving them into his face.

"Haha…I didn't do that though." Juno laughed as she patted Will on the shoulder; the young soldier only grinning as he pulled his wrap from his neck, gently wrapping the needles inside.

"Well, I love that smell now." He said, tucking the wrap into the crook of his armor. "So tell me about-

There came a loud dull thump as an arrow buried itself into the tree trunk next to Juno's head. Throwing herself to the ground, she pulled her pistol from her thigh holster; firing in the direction the arrow came from.

"Ambush!"

Will dove to the ground, thankfully his carbine was already in his hands. Racking the bolt back, he let loose with a blast which shook the needles from the tree above him. Will grinned when he was awarded with a scream of pain and a paint-covered tribal toppled from atop a boulder in front of him.

"I got him!"

Standing, he began to walk over to the body only to be tackled from the left and slammed to the ground. He felt his rifle fly from his hands, clattering to the ground in front of him. Lashing out with his fist, he connected with a fleshy form; which rewarded him with a shout of gibberish.

"Will! Get to cover!" Juno opened up with her pistol; the .45 rounds riddling the tribal. Racing forward, she grabbed Will by his collar with one hand and grabbing his rifle with the other; literally woman-handling him behind a log and a weathered boulder. Ejecting the magazine, she slammed a fresh one in; immediately shifting positions to fire at the tribals still under cover.

"These White Legs?" Will asked as he opened up with his carbine, the M4 carbine riddling the rocks with rounds as the tribals returned fire; an arrow sinking into the ground next to Will.

"Yup, we're on the border of the Legs territory. They've been tracking us for the last hour." Firing as an over-zealous Leg tried to charge their position; her rounds entering his chest cavity and exploding in a shower of gore. Will let out a yell when he saw the shower; Juno only shook her head at the boy's action.

She knew he was young, but she had seen few that were as bloodthirsty as he was. Thankfully, he didn't let it take advantage of him; like the White Legs who continued to charge their fortified position. Dropping another Leg, she pulled one of her few grenades from her belt; giving it a heave to where she thought the Legs were coming from.

"Yeah, that's how we do it!" The explosion seemed to directly inject adrenaline into Will, his own rifle seeming to weigh nothing as he continued to burn through his magazines. "They've been tracking us and you didn't say anything? C'mon, you can trust me a little more."

"It's not that I don't trust you, dammit! If you knew then they would've attacked when we had no cover. Here we can hold out until help arrives." Juno pulled a throwing knife from her sleeve; sending it into the throat of a very close Leg.

"Okay, you gotta teach me that." Will ejected his second to last magazine, replacing it with the last one. "Running low on ammo."

Slipping her pack and satchel off, Juno reached inside; pulling the parts of her DKS-501 sniper rifle out. Quickly attaching the barrel to the receiver; Juno pulled the butt to her shoulder; sighting in on the White Legs.

"Time to end this; keep me covered." Sighting in on a White Leg carrying a Thompson submachine gun or "boom-stick" as the tribals called it. Exhaling, her sight settled on the woman's chest and she squeezed the trigger. The rifle bucked against her shoulder, the sweet ache starting to form. The woman dropped, a nice .308 exit wound ending her life.

"Nice shot got another one to the right; big 'ole shotgun in his hands, moving forward now." Will shifted to the right, firing a round to scare the Leg out of cover. It succeeded, Juno blasting the man in the upper shoulder and dropping him like a rock.

"Alright…Got on-

A bullet slammed into his back; throwing him over the log. His pack saved his life, the round that entered it had dramatically slowed down and would leave a massive bruise. Not missing a beat, Juno pivoted onto her knee; firing the remainder of her magazine towards the White Leg who had snuck behind them.

The Leg howled in pain as the .308 rounds stitched up his thigh to his chest and then head. The corpse crumpled; blood flowing like a river. Juno ejected her magazine, going for another when another Leg came crashing out of the trees; swinging a massive war club.

Bringing her rifle up, she blocked the first swing, though she was thrown against a tree. Ducking under the next swing, the club bounced off the thick tree trunk; hitting the Leg in the forehead and stunning him. Juno rolled and in a momentary lapse, pulled the trigger of her rifle.

"Shit!"

Shouting tribal gibberish, the Leg came at her again, this time slamming the club straight into her solar plexus and driving her into the air. Because of her light frame, she was sent tumbling down the hill in front of their position. Leaping over the log, the Leg raised his club above his head for the killing blow.

"Hey, painted-bitch!"

Though he didn't understand, the White Leg still was distracted by the shout. Turning around, the Leg was greeted by four .44 rounds to the chest. His body jerked with each consecutive blow and crumbled to the ground; his club tumbling from his hand.

Pulling himself up from the ground, Will flipped open his revolver; rapidly reloading the cylinder. Cocking the hammer back, he scanned for more targets as he crawled to Juno. The trees had become awfully quiet and the winds softly passed through the trees; making the bloody ground seem horrifyingly peaceful.

"Psst, Juno, you alright?"

Will gently shook her on the shoulder as he knelt next to her. Juno coughed weakly as Will helped her up. Shaking her head, Juno spat in the dirt. "Damn…Thank God for body armor. Thanks for capping that Leg, war clubs sure pack a punch."

"Yeah, so can bullets; one punch straight through my pack. Almost took out my bubble gum." Will laughed softly as he helped Juno stand; her legs wobbling.

"Uh…don't make me laugh. Gonna have some bruises, dented my chestplate." Juno chuckled as they stepped over the log; Will adding another round to the White Leg…just to be sure.

"Are you okay to keep going?" Will asked as he shrugged his pack into a more comfortable position.

"Yeah, just need to catch my breath for a second…Oh, shit." Juno looked past Will, her eyes widening as the braches parted and eight White Legs armed with spears and Thompson submachine guns.

Will twisted around, his jaw dropping as the Legs came forward. He began to bring up his revolver, only for Juno to catch his arm and disarm him. He glared at her, silently asking why.

"Outgunned, maybe they'll take us prisoner…" Juno whispered as the White Legs drew closer.

"Yeah, great plan. What're the chances of that?" His fists clenched tightly as the Legs surrounded them; their spears seeming to become a lot sharper as they were shoved into his face.

"Well, not dead yet."

Will snorted at Juno's remark; actually bolstering his confidence, though the repeated thrusting of spears in his face didn't do much for it either. The Legs all looked at each other, like they didn't know what to do with their new prisoners.

Then came the most joyous sound Will had ever heard. The stutter of an unknown number of machine guns opened up on the White Legs. Juno tackled Will to the ground, covering him with her body as bullets impacted all around them.

The White Legs fared much worse as they were struck down. They howled in pain and anger as bullet after bullet entered and then exited their bodies. Blood splattered everywhere and seemed to coat Will and Juno as the White Legs were literally erased from the earth by the sheer firepower.

Finally, the firing ended and the dust kicked up faded away with the wind. Rolling off of Will, Juno didn't see the blush spreading across his face. He quickly made his way to where Juno had thrown his revolver; sighing when he picked up the now ruined weapon. The rounds fired had blown the grip and cylinder to oblivion, making it useless.

He threw it to the side as their 'rescuers' came out of the trees and appeared above them on the boulders. Will settled into the defensive stance his father taught him long ago as a man came striding forward.

The man was dressed in what looked like a simple black vest with pockets across the front and back. A white shirt with rolled sleeves was worn underneath while dirty and torn jeans covered his legs. Yet, what made Will surprised and Juno joyous was the fact that the amn was covered from head to toe in bandages.

"I don't enjoy killing, but when done righteously, it's just a chore, like any other." The man spoke, his voice deep and full of authority.

Juno rushed forward; throwing her arms around the man's neck as the man awkwardly returned the embrace. Breaking away, Juno led the man over to Will; who had eased out of his stance and walked over to meet them.

"Will, meet Joshua Graham."

**Well, kinda a cliff-hanger. I hope y'all enjoyed the action in this chapter. Now if you would be so kind as to press the little review button, I would have to send White Leg hit squads to get ya. **

**Alright! FalloutRanger out.**


	5. A Simple Discussion

Dead Horses Camp

The sun had begun to set as the Will and the rest of the party trudged into the Dead Horses camp. Along the way, Will was able to speak with Joshua about Zion and the different tribes. As Joshua said the Dead Horses and Sorrows, the only other friendly tribe in Zion, joined together for better protection. The Horses were the 'warriors' while the Sorrows provided medical aid and logistics for when they moved camp during the rain season.

"So you're telling me that Juno led the assault?" Will nodded his head towards Juno; who was engaged in a conversation with a Dead Horse man named Follows-Chalk. The man stood a few inches shorter than Will's six-foot frame, but where Will was soft around the edges, Follows-Chalk was pure muscle. There wasn't a single ounce of fat on him or any of the other tribals that Will could see; even the women had a better muscle tone than Will.

"Yes, she was a light in the darkness that I was unable to fulfill. Since then, she has become a welcome member of the Sorrows." Joshua tugged at the bandages around his wrist; making the looser bandages tight against him, making wince in pain.

"I have endured my injuries for many years, I saw your face."

"I…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I just thought that you would be able to heal."

Joshua nodded in understanding, folding his hands behind his back as they were greeted by some of the children of the tribes. Will watched as Juno lifted a boy up and twirled him around before chasing after him and his friends.

"My friend, I have endured the pain because it is what the Lord had destined for me. The technology which would be needed to heal my wounds is unknown to the Sorrows and Dead Horse scouts still do not believe in entering the Pre-War buildings…they believe it is taboo."

"Wait, I have a few questions. Why is Juno a Sorrow and not a Dead Horse; also, who is this Lord person. During the trip, Juno seemed to speak to him…or it. I thought she was crazy until you said something." Will was perplexed as they sat down at an unoccupied campfire; the firewood crackling sharply in the calm, evening air.

Joshua sat opposite of Will, pulling a bag full of some kind of bitter-smelling object. Instructing Will to take off his chestplate, BDU shirt, and bandage covering his wound; Joshua pulled several odd-looking roots out of the bag.

"Will, I will answer one of your questions, but the other…you must ask Juno. The reason for Juno being a Sorrow is the fact that she would rather help others than end their lives. That is the reason she prefers the long rifle; she can choose who is the most dangerous." Joshua began to ground the roots in a small bowl, adding water to it periodically as the roots turned to a fine paste.

"Uh…how can it be more peaceful killing someone with a sniper rifle than an assault rifle? And…what's that stuff?"

Will flinched as Joshua slathered the paste on Will's bicep. The paste seemed to seep into the wound, burning slightly before cooling and numbing the whole area. Emptying the bowl into the fire, Joshua wiped his hands on his jeans and stared into the fire.

"With her rifle she can end a battle with a single bullet by taking out the leader; that is how. Also, it is called bitterroot and is used in most of our healing potions; this paste will harden in a few minutes." Joshua folded his hands as he spoke; making him seem almost sage-like in the glow of the fire.

"I understand…I think. So what am I going to do here?"

Joshua held up a bandaged hand, silencing Will. "My friend, you will learn in the morning. For now, you must rest and gather your strength; tomorrow all your questions will be answered. Goodnight."

With that final word, Joshua stood from his log and walked into the large cave across from the fire. All around him the Dead Horses and Sorrows still awake began to bed down for the night. Following their example, Will rolled out his bed roll, tossing a few painful rocks out from under him. Resting his head on his pack, he stared up at the stars, barely noticing one shoot across the sky.

"Make a wish…" He sighed, closing his eyes as exhaustion took hold of him.

Juno 

The sun had only begun to rise when Juno opened her blue eyes; scanning the area around her before sitting up. She could never be too careful, even in a Dead Horse camp. The White Legs and Legion could always find a way to get at her and her family.

Streching her arms back, she groaned as the knots in her upper back popped loudly. Throwing back the cover of her bedroll, Juno slowly rose up; walking towards the cooking fires. Follows-Chalk and his friend, Stares-at-Bull, had already begun to prepare breakfast and the most glorious beverage of all…coffee.

"_Good morning, Chalk, Bull. How did you sleep?"_ Juno asked as she leaned down to smell the roasted fish. Since Zion hadn't been a large target during the War, many animals were left unharmed by radiation; fish, deer, and horses were some of the few that were largely unharmed.

"_Ah, Juno, good morning to you. We slept well, I am quite glad we could rescue you in time." _Chalk laughed at Juno's face when he mentioned the day before. Since coming to Zion in the first place, Chalk had always been there for her and saved her on numerous occasions…something he loved to rub in. _"No need to get angry, I only jest. Wake your friend, he snores like a Brahmin and smells worse than one."_

Chalks and Bull both laughed at the jest. Thankfully, Will was still past out from the night before; upper body still bare to the night air. Juno laughed until she noticed the large gash along his bicep; it started in the middle and ended near his elbow.

Cursing softly, she not-so-gently shook Will awake; throwing his shirt at him. Groggily, Will opened his eyes, his dark green eyes locking on Juno's after a vigorous rubbing.

"Hey, morning Juno; how'd you sleep?" Will yawned, rising up to join her by the fire; goosebumps rising on his arms from the morning air. "I'm pretty sure I slept on a rock…a big one." Leaning back, Will's back loudly cracked.

"I slept fine, Sharps. What I want to know is why you didn't tell me about your wound." Juno crossed her arms, foot beginning to stamp like an impatient mother. Chalks and Bull both looked at one another before slowly sliding away from the cooking fire; both muttering gibberish.

Juno didn't even acknowledge them leaving; keeping her attention on Will. Glancing at the gash on his arm, Will only shrugged, immediately regretting it when Juno's face turned bright red.

"A shrug? You could have died from infection!" Juno's shouts rose in volume as she continued; Will slowly sinking backwards. "It's a miracle that you didn't…I didn't bring you here to just die from a flesh wound! Stop being a stupid FNG and think!"

In the short time Will had known Juno he had never imagined her to be so forceful; even if all her stories were true. He just never expected it. Juno continued with her lecture, her cheeks growing redder as she began to forget the key factor in chewing someone out…breathe.

"You know, maybe I would've told you about it if I could trust you!"

Juno sputtered, taken back by Will's sudden outburst. Shrinking back, Juno tried to speak, only to be overshadowed by Will's voice.

"I-

"No, let me speak! I spent over almost two weeks travelling with you and I…I barely know why I'm here. I enlisted so I can serve a purpose; by taking me away from the NCR I can't get my revenge! Look at this; I think this means I'm loyal enough." Gesturing to his wound, which to his surprise, looked almost completely healed. It would scar, he was almost sure of it, but hey, some women loved scars.

"Will…all I want is peace; for New Vegas and Zion. I have family in both places and only the NCR can guarantee a stable peace." Juno sighed, sitting down on the log behind her. Will crossed his arms, waiting for an explanation…any kind of explanation.

"I've done some crazy things in my life. I've killed so many people that I don't remember my first. I've run with some bad groups and done some stupid things; things I deeply regret." Juno's voice began to waver as she hung her head. Will watched as she slowly rolled her right sleeve up, revealing long, pale track marks which spanned the length of her forearm.

Will sat down on the log next to Juno; tears softly rolling down her face. He listened to her describe her former life, how she had fallen into a Med-X addiction from her wounds at Goodsprings. How, when the time came, she couldn't save her best friend from being killed by Legate Lanius.

"The only reason I'm still here is because of Joshua and the situation in Zion. I was so close to just wandering into Legion territory when I got the signal from the Happy Trails Caravan Company asking for assistance. Meeting Joshua…changed me."

Juno wiped her eyes, smiling as she took her necklace in her hand. Will sat quietly, taking in all the information. "So…he saved your life?"

"Not exactly, he did save me from a White Leg once; but that's beside the point." Julia chuckled as she slipped her necklace off; handing it to Will. "Ya see, Joshua, the Tribes, and I believe in a higher power you could say. It's written in a book called the Scriptures that a Man came down and saved us; taking away all the sins I have with his own life. Through my faith, I can be with the Man who saved us when someone finally gets me."

Will looked at the cross with a new meaning; turning it back in forth in his hands. "So this was the Man's symbol? It looks a lot like a Legion crucifix…"

"Well, not any different. It turns out the Legion was around before the War and they didn't like the Man very well. They nailed him to this crucifix or cross as some call it and killed him." Juno reached for a tin cup in front of her; filling it with coffee. She inhaled the sweet aroma, sipping lightly as the coffee warmed her body.

"This Man saved you? How can he do that if he's dead?"

"That's the amazing part." Juno's voice was filled with excitement as she held her coffee; evidently forgotten. "He is everywhere, whenever someone needs him; he's there. All we have to do is pray and it'll happen. It won't be an automatic thing, something people forget. It's not magic, it's a relationship; it will happen, but you must have faith."

Will smiled at Juno's words, hearing the sincerity and energy practically spilling forth. Yet, there was still major doubt in this New Vegas boy; something just didn't click. How can a man die, but save everyone, even those not born. Was he saved? No, he couldn't be; he'd never heard of this Man.

"You know, I've never heard of this guy. So, he can't be as great as you make him out to be." Will handed Juno's cross back to her, wringing his hands together as he spoke. "I just can't put my life in the hands of a man I've never even met. I'm sorry Juno, but I don't believe a word you said."

Her smile faded into a grim smirk. "I felt the same way, I'm just glad you're not as messed up as I am. If you just think about it, all I ask, it'll come to ya." Juno's smile returned as she stood, sipping her coffee and sighing loudly. "I love coffee…coffee, coffee, coffee."

Will chuckled as he pulled on his BDU shirt; following Juno as she walked towards the cave opening that Joshua had disappeared into the night before.

"Juno, we're okay, right? Don't want anything to mess with our mission…or whatever this is."

Turning, Juno drained the rest of her coffee; smiling as she savored the bitter drink. "Will, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Her eyes showed the mischievous side of her as she walked into the cave. "You've been out in the sun too long, my friend."

Will grinned as he followed her into the cave; the ominous darkness seemingly swallowing them whole. His grin only became wider at the thought of the unknown and an old recruiting ad instantly popped into his mind.

_Join the army, travel to exotic places, meet new people, and kill them…OO-RAH._

**Wow, I've been popping out a few more chapters than I'm used to. I hope you enjoyed this little filler; I promise there will be action in the next one, just felt like adding a bit of backstory to Juno. **

**Author Note: The italics with quotations is the tribal language. I hope it doesn't confuse anyone, if it does, message me or review and I'll switch it up. Also, the story will have a religious theme; plenty of action and good stuff, I'm not a Bible thumper but I am a Christian. **

**I want to send a shout-out to my readers; especially the reviewers, yall are awesome, No White Leg hit squads coming after you!**

**-Cold Secrets, you made me laugh. Thanks for the review.**

**-zefiewings-I hope I didn't confuse you again, glad you enjoyed.**

**-Zaika-Purr-Thanks for liking my idea, I have a lot planned for this story.**

**Reviews are an awesome thing…so press the button, please…pretty please. FalloutRanger out.**


	6. The Outpost

New Zion-One Week Later

The sun had just begun to shine and the Dead Horses and Sorrows had already begun their day of chores. Follows-Chalk and Stares-at-Bull were leading a hunting party out of the camp; leaving Will by the fire nursing a cup of coffee.

He sighed as he stared into the crackling fire; watching the embers slowly dance in the morning air. Taking a long drink, Will set his cup down and pulled out his only personal possession, the picture of his sisters. It was the only picture that had survived the burning of his family's farm and he relished every chance he got to look upon it. Will grinned at the bucktoothed smile on Daisy's face as she smiled up at the camera; Sunny actually wearing a dress. Their parents had worked hard to be able to provide for their children and the vacation at the Tops Casino had been the perfect idea.

Sighing, he tucked the picture into his wallet; running both his hands over his hair which he could actually feel now. He made a mental note to see Joshua about finding a barber or whatever passed for one in Zion. Making his way into Angel Cave as the Horses liked to call it, he passed by many of the female Sorrows who had begun their daily chores.

"Hello Sharps." A woman named Moon called out to him. She was about Will's age, give or take a few, and had been the first to welcome him into their community. She had even taken it upon herself to teach him some of their language.

"_Hello, Moon. How you are?"_

"_How are you? I am good."_ Moon corrected him gently, a smile on her face as she turned to pull a bundle of clothes from behind her; her long dark hair falling over her tanned shoulder.

"Your understanding of our language is remarkable, Sharps. Here, I've stitched your jacket and your new clothes are in on your bed. I must go, but I hope to see you later." Moon smiled as she followed the rest of the giggling women out of the cave; leaving Will blushing like a schoolboy.

Smiling, he made his way to the back of the cave where he had been staying. They were temporary until tonight when he will join Juno and Joshua in the war meeting; there they will decide his role here.

"Ah, the young soldier has arisen and joined me."

Will laughed to himself as Joshua Graham sat above him; his desk cluttered with a pile of .45 caliber pistols. Joshua had begun teaching Will how to strip and clean the ancient and deadly weapons. It was yesterday that Will had first fired the pistol and had instantly fallen in love with it; discarding his preference for revolvers immediately.

"Wanted to catch the sunrise, how're you doing?" Will asked as he crossed over to his bed. Being quartered with the tribe's leader had perks as he had an entire corner to himself where his duffle bag, new satchel, and rifle were sitting.

"The Lord has woken me yet again and I will do his works. Will, today I have need of your services." Joshua's voice, though muffled by gauze, spoke with a clear and commanding voice.

Will stepped behind a privacy curtain as he stripped off his formerly white t-shirt and pulled a newly cleaned grey shirt from the bundle and pulled it over his chest. Followed was a pair of dark, but weathered blue jeans which he then strapped his combat knife to his right thigh.

"All you have to do is ask Joshua." Will pondered what he could be asking since he had only been around for a couple of days. He hadn't had time to learn the lay of the land nor many of the people.

"I need you to accompany a scavenging party to an old ranger compound and help search the ruins. The building had been recently discovered by Follows-Chalk, but he had been unable to take a look inside. Many of my warriors still hold to the belief the buildings are taboo so you will need to search it." Joshua explained the mission clearly and without hitch; something Will had come to respect from the former Legate.

"I can definitely do that, give me a few minutes and I'll be ready to go." Will pulled a pair of aviator sunglasses from his satchel before slinging it over his shoulder. He contemplated bringing along his armor, but the NCR label on it instantly made him a target and the Tribe's were still not trusting of the Bear. Dismissing it with a wave of his hand, he reached down to his M4 rifle; feeling the rusted receiver catching at his skin.

Groaning, he ejected the magazine, groaning again when he only counted a dozen rounds left inside.

"Joshua, you wouldn't happen to have 5.56 rounds lying around would you?" Will hadn't thought to have brought a full combat load with him, so he had run low on ammunition before they made it to Zion.

"I'm sorry, Will but that kind of round is difficult to find in Zion. No worries, I have another weapon that is suitable for your needs. Find Juno, she is waiting for you outside of the cave, she'll accompany you on the mission."

With that, Joshua turned back to his table, his bandaged hands running over the arsenal on the table almost lovingly. Will sighed again as he set his rifle back down and began threading his belt through his pant loops.

"Probably another junk rifle…"

Xxxxxxxxxxx

The group had set out immediately following Will's exit from the cave; the small group of Horses leading Juno and Will through the water filled entrance to the camp and out into the paths of Zion. The patrols greeted them warmly as they passed them, their spears and bows at the ready. Will had always thought every one of the Tribals carried firearms, but only the more talented of them were granted their own.

"Thanks, dad." Will muttered as he ran his hand down the barrel of his new weapon. Juno had given him a weathered Thompson submachine gun; firing the same rounds as his pistol, he was thankful for the ability to accommodate both weapons if necessary.

"You say something?"

Will glanced over to Juno, who had forgone the Ranger-looking armor and instead was dressed similar to Will, only a large medical and tech pack covering her back. Her ponytail bounced freely as she walked, in her arms was another submachine gun, but Will had seen the rounds tear through Yai Guai like they were tissue paper. She had told him it was a gift from the Gunrunners and chambered the 12.7mm round.

"No, just thanking someone. So, where is this outpost anyway?" Will slung his weapon over his shoulder and pulled his canteen from his satchel; sipping at the cool liquid.

"Surprisingly, over the bend here, recent earthquakes had shifted some of the rubble from the few missiles that struck Zion and uncovered the entrance." Juno tugged at the straps of her backpack as her weapon hung loosely. "Scouts say that the building must have been the headquarters of the rangers in Zion National Park before the War; so hopefully we'll have a good find today."

They continued on the way, Will having jogged forward with Follow-Chalk and was amazed at what he saw. A large green and white building sat nestled between the large mountains of rubble that had covered it for centuries.

"Okay, Chalk. Place the Horses at the entrance and stay hidden; we don't want any unwelcome company." Juno ordered, a pair of binoculars pressed to her eyes. "Will, you and I will head inside and see what we can find before everyone else comes in. Let's go."

Nodding his head Will reached into his satchel and pulled his flashlight and a roll of duct tape free; improvising a tac-light and securing it to the hand guard of his weapon. Switching off the safety, Will shouldered the Thompson and pulled back on the charging handle; grinning at the satisfying sound.

Silently, they jogged their way forward, the large ranger station seeming to loam over them as they walked up the wooden steps; ever so slightly creaking under their boots. A rock had cave in the doors and still lay in the way resulting in Will crawling over it followed by Juno.

Their lights flashed on; cutting through the darkness like a scythe through wheat. They stood back-to-back in the lobby area; the lights revealing centuries of loot waiting to be scavenged.

In front of them were a row of computers sitting at the front desk; a single skeleton slumped forward on the desk. The tattered remains of a park ranger still clung to the bony remains; a rusted revolver limply held in its fingers.

"Poor bastard, took the only way out it seems." Will walked around the desk; tapping at the keyboard. "Damn, place still has power. Must be an old generator running off of some grid. Whoa, Juno take a look at this."

"What?" Juno joined Will at the computer; gingerly pushing the chair and skeleton backwards to make room. "Is this data right?"

"Yeah, if no one had raided it, the armory is ripe for the picking. Come on, it's just downstairs." Will shouldered his weapon as he pushed past Juno and walked around the corner; banging his boot against a coffee table. "Dammit!"

"Ha, that's what you get for rushing. Be careful, we don't know what all is in here." Juno joined Will by the staircase, staring down into the pitch blackness.

"Well, let's go."

Starting down the stairs, Will's flashlight seeped through the darkness, illuminating rows of lockers and boxes. His boots echoed as he slowly made his way to the middle of the room.

"Cover your eyes."

Juno's warning came too late as lights flashed on and blinded Will and forced some very colorful language to emit from him.

"Sorry, didn't mean to…holy shit." Juno's voice trailed off as she let her rifle drop to her side; hanging loosely from her fingers.

"Gah…what is…wow."

Will slung his Thompson as he joined Juno in front of the massive iron door, rust beginning to creep along the seams of the gears. Emblazed on the front was a bright yellow 01.

"It's a Vault…"

**Yeah, felt like writing on this story and felt like a cliffhanger too, sorry y'all. So, I'll try to update this when I can but honestly it's not on my list of priorities. But hey, if ya wanna review, I'm not stopping you. FalloutRanger out.**


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